


Cool For The Summer

by UselessLesbianWriter



Category: RWBY
Genre: Criminal Underworld, Edit, F/F, Just a short drabble, Now might be something more, RWBY au, Used to b a short drabble
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-01-02 12:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21161714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UselessLesbianWriter/pseuds/UselessLesbianWriter
Summary: A WR oneshot I came up w/. Ruby and Weiss finding solace in each other outside of the criminal underworld.Edit: currently being continued but I don't know how long that will last.





	1. Chapter 1

Ruby Rose is wealthy, talented, loved, and most importantly, powerful. Not many people had the courage nor the status to challenge the bold red-head, not even the Schnees. The Rose family and the Schnee family have been warring for centuries for the unspoken title of most powerful. To this day neither of them have succeeded, not really. Yeah, Ruby has achieved this goal in some ways, but not in the criminal underworld.

You see, her father was a big deal– being one of the chief gang leaders and all. This was the same for her mother. Same for her sister’s mother. Same for their Uncle Qrow. It ran in the family. And now Yang was also a gang leader, a natural at it because of her Semblance. But Ruby wasn’t a gang leader, no, that life wasn’t something she wanted for herself.

Of course her family pressured her constantly to change her mind, to take her mother’s old throne. However, the speedster had plans for how she was going to continue her life; she was going to fall in love, she was going to marry, and have kids. She was going to settle down.

Weiss Schnee didn’t seem to want to follow in her parents footsteps either, being that although she was a formidable gang leader, she rarely actually _lead_ her gang. She liked to travel, to see the world… and Ruby didn’t blame her. 

It is summertime in Mistral and Ruby is leaning back on a lawn chair, sipping a cold mimosa. The birds are tweeting their pleasant songs with a little more flourish today, for how often do they get to sing for Ruby Rose; one of the greatest artists in all of Remnant?!

Remember how I called her “loved”? Well, the phrase I should have used for this would be “much loved by all”, for you have to understand that Ruby Rose isn’t meant for the criminal underworld for another fact that her family just can’t come to terms with; she’s too nice. Ruby is one of those people who will apologize to the person who bumped in _her_ or get her clothes dirty trying to help someone out with zero regard for her own health and cleanliness.

Just too damn nice.

This has gotten her more than one admirer, and many, _many_ people who would (in their own words) die for her. So going back to another word I used to describe her; powerful. Part of this power comes from her wealth, which comes from her art, but other parts of it come from just how well known she is. And even more of it comes from the fact that the people like her. 

Her talent is found in her charm and skill with paint, but some even say that it is a talent to be able to have that much power and not be corrupted by it.

So here we are, you now know the one and only Ruby Rose. How about we look at the person walking up to her right now, a certain white-haired woman with a love for seeing the world.

“Hey, babe, where is Klein?” Weiss asked, trudging down the small slope.

“I sent him out to buy more groceries.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she stood in front of Ruby, “I thought you were leaving tonight? We still have plenty of food for dinner.”

“I changed my mind,” Ruby set her sunglasses to the side and made a beckoning motion to Weiss. “I think I wanna stay for just a little bit longer.”

The Schnee giggled when Ruby pulled her on top of her. “You do realize this is only for the summer, right?” She asked breathlessly.

“Absolutely-” The red-head was interrupted by a particularly passionate kiss from Weiss. And a few more after that.


	2. Part 2: Heads and claws

With everything in life being as complicated as it is, Ruby finds the most joy in very simple things. Like counting, for instance. Counting is always the same, one, two, three, and so on. It never changes. And so Ruby loves counting for very long periods of time, just to revel in how utterly simple it is. Yang likes to provide Ruby very large amounts of things to count. Heads are one of her favorites to provide; and that is exactly what she did.

Ruby stands very still as she surveys the mound of heads in the middle of her sister’s “court room” as she likes to call it. The court room is quite large with steel tiled floors and iron walls, yellow cushioned chairs lining two of those walls to Ruby’s left and her right.

“Well?” Yang asked Ruby as she walked up next to her.

“Well, what? I haven’t had a chance to count them yet.”

Yang chuckled softly, “you know what I mean, Rubes.”

The red and black haired girl sighed. “Fine. Just by sizing the pile up I can estimate it is over fifty heads, but at a mere glance I can tell the heads were severed _after_ death.”

The blonde groaned. “How?! Me and my men did exactly as you told us.”

“Precisely. I know what you’ve done and therefore I can tell easily.”

This made Yang brighten up slightly. “So it would fool the police?”

“Probably, but if anyone on their force knows their stuff you’re screwed.”

She giggled and clapped her hands together, “fair enough!”

The reason why Yang wants the police to think the heads being severed was the cause of death is because that is the trade mark of a rivaling gang. And placing a mound of heads in an unfortunate spot could expose their hide-out. The reason Yang can’t just actually make cutting off their heads the way they die? The rivaling gang, the Mace, uses a unique axe that only they possess. A sort-of mix between their name and the wood-cutting implement. However, no one knows how to make this weapon and so it’s effects can’t be perfectly created. So what is the purpose of attempting to copy their work at all? The mace-axe is always laced with cyanide combined with cocaine. And so Yang is killing people (from the Mace ironically enough) with this combination and then severing their heads with the closest recreation she could muster up. And the last question: Why doesn’t Yang just lace the mace-axe-thing with the cyanide/cocaine mixture? The original weapon also has an intricate system of pipes built into it that inject the cocaine/cyanide mixture into the body of its victim. But Yang doesn’t know how to recreate that system and so she has to inject the same amount that the mace-axe uses into the people, which kills them rather quickly so she has no time to make the swing of the prototype the cause of their final breath.

“Breaker!” A gang member called out. Breaker is Yang’s code-name among her gang, earned because a single punch from her breaks bones.

“Yes?”

“Claw is asking for your presence. She said it is urgent.” Claw is the leader of an ally gang, the Hounds. Claw earned her name for the spikes on her brass knuckles that leave cuts which look like claw marks. No one knows her real name, though some have a theory that Yang knows her real name. A prize well-earned with sex, booze, and money. But mostly sex.

“Tell her I’ll-” Yang was interrupted by the door to the court being flung open loudly.

“Yang!” Claw yelled angrily, storming past quaking-in-their-boots grunts. “What’s this I hear about you licking Nora Valkyrie while taking Lie Ren in the back?!”

Ruby could see Yang visibly gulp. “Claw, sweetie. It’s just another rumor to make you jealous. Calm down.”

Claw didn’t calm down. Not even a little. “And why the hell would anyone want to make me jealous, pray tell?”

Yang moved forward, outstretching her arms to her sides as if to gesture that the number of people was quite large. “You are the leader of one of the most powerful gangs, and our alliance is a threat to many.” 

Claw visibly relaxed a bit and took a few steps closer to Yang herself. “And the specific chose of Nora and Ren?”

“I’m bi, my love. They had to pick a power couple who would also be willing to share someone on the side.” Yang was now standing directly in front of Claw, her hands fell limply to her sides.

“Okay,” Claw started, flirtatiously running her hands down Yang’s neck and to her shoulders. “Let’s say that that is true. How do you explain the picture they sent me?” 

Ruby could now see that Claw’s calmness was only a facade as the gang leader’s voice was steeped in venom.

Claw pulled out her scroll and showed a picture to Yang, one that Ruby was kinda glad she couldn’t see.

“That was photo-shopped.” Yang said, barely masking her pleading tone. 

“Oh, really?” Claw was now squeezing the blonde’s throat ever so slightly.

“Yes,” Yang said, growing paler. “Ruby is good at picking out stuff like that, show it to her and she’ll tell you!”

“Ruby is your sister, why would she tell me if the photo isn’t faked?” Claw’s face was masked and her hair was covered with the hood of her long, black cloak. Not that it would have mattered much anyway, the person who was now choking Yang was only a clone, a recreation. And no one had any idea if Claw could modify what they looked like, so… 

“Please! I know she won’t because of our dad, you know, Tai-yang Xiao Long?” Tai-yang is known for many things, but oddly enough honor was one of them. He killed Summer Rose, Ruby’s mom, himself because he found out from a friend she attacked an ally. Later, though Ruby didn’t know it at the time, she was the one who delivered it to the doorstep of the “wronged” gang leader. “Send the picture to him too, he’s good at spotting that kind-of stuff as well and if he found she lied he would kill her!”

Claw deliberated, then let go of Yang’s throat. “No need, I know you, Yang. You would never risk your sister’s life for the world. Don’t be late for dinner.” And with that, Claw exited the room with elegance and grace.

**.X.X.X.**

Weiss wouldn’t, by any means, consider herself protective of anyone; Ruby Rose quite included. But when the red and black-haired girl walked in, pale and frightened, the Schnee instantly knew she would kill anyone who made Ruby look this way.

“Ruby! Are you okay?” She rushed to her side and Ruby flung her arms around Weiss’s neck.

“No! I’m not okay! I just got an e-mail from my dad saying that we have a “family matter” to attend to! The last time he sent that, he- he killed my mom.”

Weiss shushed her and whispered calming reassurances into her ear, but she too remembered the day when a little girl her own size dropped a box off at their door and would later be opened to reveal a head.


	3. Part 3

Weiss didn’t think she should attend Ruby’s family meeting, but with enough begging, Ruby convinced her to at least stand in a corner while the meeting was being held.

Right now they were on their way and a pit of anxiety twisted in the Schnee’s stomach. She really shouldn’t be going, but Ruby was too scared that someone, namely her sister, was going to die that day. The Rose told Weiss all about Claw and her confrontation with Yang. The whole thing reeks of ill will and well kept secrets. Who specifically is keeping the secrets? Unknown, but Weiss has a strong suspicion there is more to Claw than her bad temper and anonymity.

Upon arrival they find everyone standing on the steps leading up to the vast manor of the Rose/Xiao Longs. Including a certain masked woman. Claw was holding hands with Yang, seemingly relaxed despite the mask hiding her face and the long cloak and hood making her features less distinguishable. 

Their chauffeur opened the door for them and Ruby exited, then Weiss. The people turned to look at them and Tai-yang came forth, smiling a big smile that caused crows feet in the corner of his eyes. “You’re here!” He exclaimed at a stupidly loud volume, wrapping Ruby in a welcome, if not just slightly unexpected, hug. “We’ve been waiting,” he added with a faint edge.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Ruby said quietly, moving closer to Weiss once her father relinquished his hold on her.

“And I see another one of my daughters brought an unexpected guest!” Tai-yang chuckled, though now his words were soaked in disdain and untold hatred. He moved away swiftly, rejoining the conversation with Yang and Claw.

The two girls made their way up the steps and to Qrow, probably the only person in the family who supported Ruby in her endeavor to not become a gang leader. “It’s a dirty business” he always said with a drunken smile “be proud to keep your hands clean, the world needs more people like you.” 

He was talking to another Claw clone with fervor. “I can’t believe the Scorpions actually thought they could cross your territory line! You have one of the most formidable boundary patrols there is!”

“I know,” the masked woman replied smoothly. “It was a dumb move made by the dumbest of them all. I do, however, believe that they thought they could make it through for some unknown variable. What do you think; do I have a mole on my hands?”

Qrow took a swig of fire whiskey, straight out of the bottle. Wiping his chin where some of it dribbled down, he replied, “it’s probable. Knowing them, though, it wouldn’t be someone who has been in your ranks long.” 

“Hmm, I’ll take that into consideration. Thank you, Qrow.” And with that, the clone dispersed first into a kind-of black smoke, then vanished completely.

“What is it with Claw and her clones?” Ruby asked when Qrow finally noticed her standing there.

“I would think it would be so she can’t be assassinated.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think Yang would sleep with a coward.” Qrow laughed at that and pulled Ruby into a quick but warm hug. “I’ve missed you,” he said quietly.

“I’ve missed you too, Uncle Qrow. Hey, do you know why dad called this meeting?”

“Nope, and neither does he.” The man burped and finished off the bottle.

“What does that mean?”

“He got an anonymous call saying someone in our family was a traitor and when everyone is gathered here, more information will be sent.”

Ruby didn’t like the sound of that but she couldn’t comment as just then her Uncle noticed Weiss. “Weiss Schnee. huh? Well, whatd’ya know.”

The girl held out her hand, taking a steadying breath in and out. “Pleased to meet you.” He didn’t shake it, just turned his gaze to his niece’s small form; “Ruby, what is this?”

“She’s a friend.” Was all Ruby revealed and the hard look she gave Qrow signified that that was _all_ she’d reveal and no amount of pushing will change that.

“Stubborn. Just like your mother.” Qrow walked away, stumbling up the rest of the stairs and staggering over the threshold of the huge mansion. No more words could be exchanged before Tai-yang’s voice bellowed out, “everyone! In the house. Now!”

So everyone filed in, first family, then the servants who had been standing outside with them.

The procession continued into a large courtroom, though Ruby and Yang nicknamed it the “Chamber of Untold Horrors” when the red-head was just three years old. It seemed boundless when they were children, now it just seems like a sad, empty room. The paintings that serve as the wallpaper seem to prove that this place was once a gay area and the designed wood flooring made it seem as if balls were once held here. Ruby can almost hear a waltz of some kind if she tries hard enough, but alas, this room will no longer hold anything that brings any sort-of joy. And it hasn’t since long before the artist was born.

Tai took a seat on a chair in the middle of the room and everyone else stood by the walls in front of him (asides from the servants, they stood behind him). “Someone in this room is a traitor. It is as simple as that. Either one of you is a traitor or I got an email from someone who’s intentions were just to fuck with me. In all honesty, I find the former to be more likely. With enough work and time anyone would know that I could track them within a few days and so the risk would be too high. I have not read what their next message says yet, I want to do that out loud so the traitor may hear their own demise.”

A dramatic pause.

“Here we go then.” He opened the email and began to read; “dear Tai-yang, you headed my advice and got the family together, very good. I’ll get straight to the point. Ruby Rose is the person you are looking for. Weiss Schnee is no friend, but a lover. And the nights they have spent together are innumerable.” Tai paused and met Ruby’s gaze, she was too shocked to say anything. He continued. “Though that is not her main offense, her main offense is that she has spent time at the Schnee manor, even gone so far as meeting the girl’s mother, Willow. In this time she has heard plans the Schnee family are making against other gangs, even your own gang, the Black Knights. Has she said anything? No… she has… not.” Ruby was sure there was more, but Tai stopped there and looked up at his youngest daughter. “Is any of this true?”

It was true, Ruby can’t lie. But it never even crossed her mind before, it was just the normal rivalry, it’s not like they were planning to kill her father or anything. But how does she explain that? How does she tell her father that she withheld information from him for a reason as petty as ‘it’s the norm’?

“I-i, I don’t…”

“It’s not.” Weiss stepped forward, hands on her hips and a haughty attitude for good measure. “My family would not be so dumb as to discuss plans in front of the daughter of the leader of a rivaling gang. Especially one the plans were about. I assure you, Tai-yang, your little informant didn’t even take the time to make their lies plausible. And I’m personally insulted by this affront .”

Tai-yang paused, looking between Ruby and Weiss. “I want to hear it from her.”

There was nothing Weiss could do now, and everyone knew that. Ruby won’t lie, lying makes her feel bad, it leaves a pit in her stomach and she always ends up confessing anyway because she feels so guilty. 

“I~”

“Leave her alone Tai.” Qrow piped up, wiping his mouth from what was either liquor or vomit, nobody could tell as he just entered the room. “I heard everything from the hall and I think the Schnee is telling the truth.”

“I want to hear it from _her_.” The man growled, standing up. “Well?”

With everyone sticking up for her, Ruby was really starting to question if she should attempt to lie or not. Why were they making this so difficult?!

“No,” she said hesitantly, not looking her father in the eye.

“No what?” His voice was harsh and impatient, it reminded Ruby of the day she said she was moving to Mistral for the year and her father demanded answers. He wouldn’t stop yelling and saying the answers she provided weren’t good enough. She needed to be clear, concise, and she was anything but that.

“No,” Ruby proclaimed, firmer this time. “I never heard any plans.”

“Why should I believe you?” 

“What?” Ruby squeaked, taken aback.

“Why should I believe you?” Tai asked again, moving forward a few paces.

“Tai,” Qrow started.

“Don’t!” The word boomed and echoed through the almost empty space, sending shivers up people’s spines.

Calm and quiet, Claw stepped forward. It was only a step and yet it held so much meaning; “watch yourself, or I may not like what your doing and stop you.” Yang did the same, though she didn’t stop at one step, she went all the way until she was standing in front of her fuming father. “Back off.” Her eyes were red and even Tai knew not to mess with Yang when her Semblance was activated. He backed off, but more words flew off of his dagger-like tongue.

“She has slept with our biggest enemy, kept secrets from us and now she might even have been aiding them in their quest to eliminate us. If you want to protect her, be my guest. But when she hands that Schnee play-thing of hers the knife to drive into all of our backs… don’t blame me.” 

.X.X.X.

“What?! How could you? How could you keep that from me?!” Ruby screamed in tears as she backed away from a crying white-haired woman. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” And in a flash Ruby was gone, rose-petals left in her wake. All that was left was a weeping Schnee and a broken promise.

“Why did you tell her, why, why?!” She asked herself over and over again. “You knew what would happen!” Some secrets just aren’t meant to be told and the one about Ruby’s mother, was obviously one of them.


	4. Past

Ruby's hand moved swiftly across the canvas, fingers spreading the dark colors in a hidden pattern. Reds, blacks, deep purples, navy blues, forest greens, twisting themselves into something tangible on the stark white of the canvas. She first started out with a brush, making quick work of the oil paint; but as time went on the brush was abandoned and she found herself - quite literally - finger painting. Her demons whispered in the corners of her mind as she worked, telling her the same old tale but with new fuel. Ruby was a worthless wench, who delivered the head of her mother to the doorstep to the Schnee's doorstep. She should have known, shouldn't she? The Schnee's manor is not an easy place to forget. But she didn't - maybe her young child's mind blocked off the memory due to it's horrific content. Ruby would never know.

A knock on her door signaled a visitor, but whoever it was didn't wait for a response. "Hey, sis," Yang said softly. "You doing okay?"

Ruby didn't even bother to grunt in reply, she just kept painting. Yang shuffled closer, rubbing the back of her neck. "Want anything to eat? Claw insisted on making us some lunch so - yeah, you want some?"

Silence.

"You talked to Weiss ever since that night?"

Nothing.

"She meant well, Rubes."

Are there crickets chirping? Ruby feels like there should be crickets chirping.

"I wanted to tell you but-"

Ruby finally broke. "But what, Yang?! But what?!" She threw she her paint at the wall in her anger and pointed a filthy, paint covered finger at her sister. "Why the fuck would you hide that from me?!"

"I- I don't know. I didn't think you were ready, I guess."

Ruby felt tears spring to her eyes, "of course I wasn't ready! I was never going to be ready! I wasn't ready, because no one is _ever_ ready to hear that they are the reason their mother died!

"You are not the reason Summer died! It was Summer's own fault!"

"If I hadn't been so weak, she would have never killed those henchmen to stop them from taking me!"

"You were five!"

"It was my job to be strong enough!"

"It was your job to live - to be a kid!"

The sisters stopped, panting. They weren't getting anywhere and they both knew it. The argument was pointless.

"Please, Rubes," Yang pled, trying one last time to get Ruby to change her mind. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was." Ruby stormed past Yang and down the hall to the bathroom, grateful that it's door was already open so that she didn't have to touch the doorknob. She tuned on the faucet and began scrubbing the oil paint off her fingers, the paint was stubborn and didn't want to come off. The red-head didn't really care, she just kept scrubbing and scrubbing until she got most of it off.

She wished she could do the same to her mind and erase all those memories she no longer wanted.

**...THREE DAYS PRIOR...**

_Ruby sat, shaking, on her girlfriend's bed. "Cool for the summer" had been their deal, but it seemed that even then there were people who wanted their relationship to be no more. It is early August, the height of the summer. Whoever it was knew that summer was about to be over and they'd lose their leverage. They had to, right?_

_Weiss sat next to the young woman, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her temple. "Are you okay?"_

_"No," the artist answered honestly. "I'm not. I can't figure any of this out. Why would someone want me dead?"_

_Weiss sighed, steeling herself for what she was about to do. It was time Ruby knew. "I think I might know."_

_"Oh?" Ruby asked, turning her head to look Weiss in the eye._

_"You remember when... when your mom died?'_

_"Yes," Ruby said hesitantly._

_"Do you remember where you delivered it?"_

_"No, all I can recall is that it was a big house and a man came out to take it from me."_

_"Well," Weiss took a deep breath. "You delivered it to my house."_

_"What?!"_

_"Ruby, please, let me explain."_

_"Okay," the girl conceded nervously._

_"You were actually supposed to come train at my house, to be an apprentice to my sister. She was to teach you how to fight and to toughen you up. But when your mother found out, she killed the men who were sent to pick you up. At that time she was married to your father, but she also was having an affair with your sister's mother. It was actually Raven's idea for you to be sent to my house. She knew you would inherit your mother's enemies and deduced that Winter was the best option to train you into a formidable fighter. She fed the idea to Tai and he proposed it to my family. But then he killed your mother for killing those men, and Raven was heartbroken. I- I think she might have blamed you for Summer's death."_

_And then Ruby got angry, yelled some, and left Weiss alone._

**...THE PRESENT DAY...**

Ruby is not okay, and she won't be for a long fucking time.


End file.
